Apple shuts down convenient iPhone 5s, iPad Air inventory checker

Apple has a history of selling out its initial supply during product launches. Only the truly dedicated consumers are able to purchase a new Apple device on launch day, but last month, one website tried to ease the pain of finding an iPhone 5s by sorting through every store in any given zip code to see which retail locations still had the phone in stock. The site would later add iPad Air support to help Apple fans find the company’s latest tablet. Unfortunately, it appears that Apple disagreed with the site’s method of data collection, because on Wednesday the owner of Apple-Tracker.com announced that the tracker is going offline.

Mordy Tikotzky, the man behind the convenient tool, posted the full cease and desist notice from the Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton law firm on his blog, which details exactly why Apple decided this seemingly innocuous tracking service needed to be discontinued. According to Apple, “the website identified by URL below is unlawful because, among other things, the page scrapes and collects data from apple.com in violation of the apple.com Internet Service Terms of Use […] and Heroku Acceptable Use Policy.”

As the holidays draw closer, this leaves one less option to quickly find a store with the iPhone 5s in stock, but Apple clearly wants a stranglehold on the ability to find its devices. With this cease and desist, the company seems to have gotten what it wants.